U.S. patent number 4,864,758 [Application Number 07/115,989] was granted by the patent office on 1989-09-12 for box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Whitehawk Corporation. Invention is credited to Douglas P. Crossman.
United States Patent |
4,864,758 |
Crossman |
September 12, 1989 |
Box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns
Abstract
Disclosed herein is a magazine for repeating shotguns, which may
be incorporated into existing repeating shotguns, comprising a box
type magazine which intersects the magazine of the shotgun so as to
receive shells into the magazine tube from the magazine, and a
shell drive assembly which traverses the magazine tube so as to
position a shell which has entered the magazine tube into a firing
chamber. This invention incorporates the manual action slide of a
manual, or pump, shotgun to actuate the shell drive assembly, and
uses the gas pressure actuation means of an automatic shotgun to
provide movement of the shell drive assembly.
Inventors: |
Crossman; Douglas P.
(Lexington, SC) |
Assignee: |
Whitehawk Corporation
(Lexington, SC)
|
Family
ID: |
22364592 |
Appl.
No.: |
07/115,989 |
Filed: |
November 2, 1987 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
42/18;
42/49.01 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F41A
9/23 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
F41A
9/23 (20060101); F41A 9/00 (20060101); F41C
007/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;42/6,17,18,49.01,50
;89/33.03,33.05,33.1,47 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Kyle; Deborah L.
Assistant Examiner: Wendtland; Richard W.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Killough; B. Craig
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns,
comprising:
(a) a magazine which intersects a magazine tube of a shotgun,
having a means which causes shells located within said magazine to
be advanced into said magazine tube; and
(b) a shell drive which traverses said magazine tube and which
causes said shells which have been advanced into said magazine tube
to be advanced into a firing chamber of said shotgun, wherein said
shell drive comprises a cylinder having a spring biased piston
located therein and protruding from a void at one end of said
cylinder which will allow said piston to pivot, with said piston
contacting a shell which has advanced into said magazine tube upon
actuation of said shell drive so as to advance said shell for
loading of said shell into said firing chamber.
2. A box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns as described
in claim 1, wherein said magazine comprises a hood where said
magazine intersects said magazine tube, and wherein said hood
comprises a channel for aligning said shells as said shells
approach said magazine tube, and which further comprises a cam
surface which forces rearwardly a shell which has reached a top of
said hood.
3. A box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns as described
in claim 1, wherein said cylinder of said shell drive is attached
to an action slide of said shotgun.
4. A box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns as described
in claim 2, wherein said cylinder of said shell drive is attached
to an action slide of said shotgun.
5. A box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns as described
in claim 1, wherein said magazine has a hood which extends into
said magazine tube, said hood having a radius approximately equal
to that of said shell so as to receive said shell and protect and
control said shell as said shell enters said magazine tube and as
said shell is advanced into said firing chamber.
6. A box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns,
comprising:
(a) a magazine intersecting a magazine tube of a shotgun having
means therein for advancing a series of shells in sequence into
said magazine tube; and
(b) a shell drive which traverses said magazine tube so as to
contact a shell which has entered said magazine tube and advance
said shell for loading said shell into a firing chamber of said
shotgun and which traverses said magazine tube in an opposite
direction so as to withdraw from a point of intersection of said
magazine tube and said magazine so as to allow next shell from said
magazine to advance into said magazine tube, wherein said shell
drive comprises a cylinder having a spring biased piston located
therein and protruding from a void at one end of said cylinder
which will allow said piston to pivot, with said piston contacting
said shell which has advanced into said magazine tube upon
actuation of said shell drive so as to advance said shell for
loading of said shell into said firing chamber.
7. A box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns as described
in claim 6, wherein said magazine comprises a hood where said
magazine intersects said magazine tube, and wherein said hood
comprises a channel for aligning shells as said shells approach
said magazine tube, and which further comprises a cam surface which
forces rearwardly a shell which has reached a top of said hood.
8. A box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns as described
in claim 6, wherein said cylinder of said shell drive is attached
to an action slide of said shotgun.
9. A box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns as described
in claim 7, wherein said cylinder of said shell drive is attached
to an action slide of said shotgun.
10. A box magazine and shell drive system for shotguns as described
in claim 6, wherein said magazine has a hood thereon having a
radius approximately equal to said shell so as to protect and
control said shell as it enters said magazine tube and as it is
advanced into said firing chamber.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to firearms generally, shotguns more
specifically, and is particularly related to a box type magazine
which may be incorporated into existing shotguns, manual or
automatic, having conventional means of positioning shells into the
firing chamber from a magazine tube.
Repeating shotguns of the type commonly in use are typified by a
magazine tube which runs generally parallel underneath the barrel
of the shotgun. By means of spring biasing, the shells are advanced
through the magazine into position underneath the firing chamber.
On a manual, or pump type, shotgun, a slide advanced rearwardly
actuates a mechanism to cause the fired shell to be ejected from
the firing chamber, and the next shell, which has been placed in
position in the magazine tube underneath the firing chamber by
spring biasing, is lifted and positioned into the firing chamber by
a mechanism which is actuated as the slide is advanced forwardly.
Automatic shotguns function in the same manner, with gas pressure
released from the firing of the shell being used to actuate the
mechanism to eject the spent shell and to actuate the mechanism to
place the next shell from the magazine into firing position.
Substantially all shotguns in the prior art incorporate a tube type
magazine and work on the principle set forth above. The present
invention is a box type magazine which may be used in conjunction
with the mechanism used in existing repeating shotguns which
incorporate a tube type magazine, and may be adapted to existing
shotguns as will be seen herein.
The advantage of a box type magazine is that the shells may be
preloaded into a box type magazine, with magazines changed quickly
and easily during the use of the gun. With tube type magazines, it
is necessary to load shells one at a time through a loading gate.
To unload unspent shells, it is necessary to work the shells
individually through the action of the gun. In the present
invention, the empty magazine may be quickly removed from the gun,
and a new magazine having shells therein quickly put in its place.
Reload time for a magazine type shotgun is therefore drastically
reduced over that for a tube magazine shotgun. Further, more shells
may be held in box type magazine than in a tube type magazine.
Greater safety is attained by unloading all unspent shells in the
magazine at one time.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention comprises a housing 4 which is mounted to the
magazine tube 6 just ahead of and below the firing chamber 18. A
box type magazine 8 having shells 10 located therein which are
advanced by spring biasing is mounted to the housing.
Within the magazine tube 6 is located a shell drive assembly 16.
This shell drive assembly traverses the magazine tube 6 and is
advanced rearwardly by pump action or by gas pressure, depending on
whether the shotgun is manual or automatic, and enters the housing
so as to contact a shell 10a which has been advanced to the top of
the magazine hood 5, and forces the shell rearwardly into position
just under the firing chamber, so that the shell can be received by
the elevator mechanism 20 which places the shell into the firing
chamber 18. The shell drive assembly 16 is then forced forward by
the action slide 14, so that it exits the housing, allowing a new
shell 10b to be advanced upward into the magazine hood 5. The shell
drive assembly 16 in the preferred embodiment comprises a cylinder
24 having a spring biased piston 26 therein as will be seen.
SUMMARY OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a shotgun having the box magazine and
housing mounted thereto.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged isolation showing the housing with a shotgun
shell having been advanced to the top of the magazine hood, and
showing the positioning of the shells within the magazine hood.
FIG. 3 is substantially the same view as FIG. 2, showing the
direction of travel of the shotgun shell through the magazine into
the magazine hood.
FIG. 4 is a partial, perspective view showing the shotgun with the
housing mounted thereto and a portion of the magazine, with the
shell drive assembly and shells shown as a phantom.
FIG. 5 is a perspective isolation of the shell drive assembly.
FIGS. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 are enlarged, partial views showing the
same side of the shotgun as FIG. 1, being partially sectioned in a
longitudinal fashion to show the action of the invention through
the loading cycle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a side elevation of the shotgun 2 showing housing 4
mounted to magazine tube 6 and box magazine 8 mounted to the lower
portion of housing 4, and showing box magazine 8 as a sectional
view to reveal spring biasing means 12 of advancing shells 10
through box magazine 8, into housing 4 and subsequently into
magazine hood 5. Also shown is the action slide 14.
FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary isolation showing housing 4 with
shells 10 therein which have advanced from the box magazine into
the magazine hood 4 as phantoms, and particularly showing the
positioning of the shells by means of the rim channel 7 and the
magazine hood 5.
FIG. 3 is substantially the same view as FIG. 2, with an arrow
indicating the direction of travel of shells 10 into magazine hood
4.
FIG. 4 is a perspective view isolating magazine tube 6, housing 4,
a portion of box magazine 8, the mechanism 28 for releasing box
magazine 8 from magazine hood 5, action slide 14 on a manual or
pump type shotgun and, as phantoms, shells 10 which have advanced
into magazine hoods, and shell drive assembly 16.
FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective isolation of the shell drive
assembly and action slide, being partially sectioned so as to show
the internal mechanism of the shell drive assembly. Shown are
piston 26 which travels in and out of cylinder 24, with piston 26
being spring biased by spring 25. The conical void 27 is shown
which allows the piston additional movement. The cylinder of the
shell drive assembly is shown as being attached to the action slide
by means of a screw.
FIG. 6 shows firing chamber 18, elevator means 20, loading chamber
22, magazine tube 6, housing 4, box magazine 8, and spring biasing
means 12 for advancing shells 10a, b, c. Shell drive assembly 16 is
shown comprising cylinder 24 and spring biased piston 26. Action
slide 14 is shown as is used with a pump, or manual, type
shotgun.
FIG. 7 is substantially the same as FIG. 6, but shows action slide
14 as it begins to advance rearwardly, advancing shell drive
assembly 16 and causing piston 26 to contact shell 10a which has
advanced to the top of magazine hood 4.
FIG. 8 is substantially the same as FIG. 7, showing a further
rearward progression of action slide 14 and the shell drive
assembly 16, and showing shell 10a as it is advanced toward the
loading chamber by piston 26 of shell drive assembly 16.
FIG. 9 is substantially the same as FIG. 8, and shows shell 10a
after it has been placed into position within loading chamber 22
and as it begins its upward advancement into firing chamber by
means of elevator 20.
FIG. 10 is substantially the same as FIG. 9, showing the shell 10a
which has been placed into position within firing chamber 18, and
showing action slide 14 as it is advanced forwardly, taking with it
shell drive assembly 16.
FIG. 11 is substantially the same as FIG. 10, showing action slide
14 as it has advanced to its full forward position, with piston 26
of shell drive assembly 16 having exited magazine hood 4 so as to
allow shell 10b within magazine 8 to advance to the top of magazine
hood 4 by spring biasing means 12.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
The present invention provides a box magazine or cartridge which
can be used in conjunction with shotguns of the type which are
currently in widespread use, and provides a means for holding a
relatively large number of shells, while being easily replaceable
when empty with a loaded magazine for quick reloading of the
shotgun. This invention may be adapted to most existing shotguns,
or could be incorporated into a shotgun as an original design.
The vast majority of repeating shotguns currently in use
incorporate a magazine tube which runs parallel to the barrel of
the gun. Shells are placed end to end within the magazine tube, and
are advanced toward an elevator means by spring biasing means. As
the gun is fired, either by manual means or by automatic means as a
result of gas released from the firing of the shell, the fired
shell is ejected and the elevator causes the most rearwardly
advanced shell to be lifted into the firing chamber.
The present invention incorporates the use of the elevator means as
described herein, which is found in most repeating shotguns
existing in the prior art. The present invention provides a box
magazine or cartridge which is mounted to the gun in a generally
perpendicular fashion relative to the magazine tube and barrel.
While spring biasing is used within the box magazine to advance the
shells into the magazine tube, the spring biasing means found in
the magazine tube of the prior art is not suitable for advancing
the shell from the magazine tube into position so that the elevator
can position the shell into the firing chamber.
The preferred embodiment shown in the drawings depicts a pump type,
or manual, shotgun 2 to which the invention has been adapted. It
should be kept in mind that automatic shotguns work on the same
principle of using a magazine tube and elevator to position the
shell into the firing chamber, and that the present invention may
be adapted to automatic shotguns in the same fashion as disclosed
herein. Accordingly, either an automatic or pump action (manual)
shotgun could be designed to originally include the present
invention, whether such shotgun be pump action (manual) or
automatic.
The present invention provides a box magazine or cartridge 8 into
which shells 10 are placed, a housing 4 or similar means for
mounting the box magazine 8 in a quick release fashion to the
shotgun, a means 12 for advancing the shells 10 from the box
magazine 8 into the magazine hood 5 and magazine tube 6, and a
means 16 for advancing a shell 10 from the magazine hood 5 into the
magazine tube 6 and loading chamber 22 for loading of the shell 10
by the elevator 20 into the firing chamber 18 as desired by the
operator.
In the preferred embodiment, as can be seen in FIG. 1, a box
magazine 8 is mounted to a shotgun in a generally perpendicular
fashion to the magazine tube 6. A number of shells 10 are placed
within the box magazine 8, with the shells 10 being stacked on top
of each other in the manner as shown in FIG. 1. Box magazine 8 is
attached by means of a housing 4 to the magazine tube 6 just ahead
of the elevator 20 and firing chamber 18. Shells 10 are advanced to
the top of the magazine hood 5 by spring biasing means 12, and as
shown, a follower 30 is used to contact the shells 10, with the
follower 30 advancing the shells 10 upwards by means of the
relatively large spring 12 located underneath it. The particular
curvature of the box magazine as seen from the side aids in
advancement of the shells 10 through magazine 8, and prevents
jamming of the shells as they enter the magazine hood 5.
Housing 4 is used to attach the box magazine 8 to the magazine tube
6. Housing 4 attaches to the magazine tube 6, and is positioned
just ahead of the elevator 20 and firing chamber 18 as can be seen
in the drawings. A slot or other void is formed within the lower
surface of the magazine tube 6 at the point that the housing joins
the magazine tube 6, with the slot or void being of sufficient size
so as to receive the magazine hood 5 into the magazine tube 6.
As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the shells 10 are advanced to the
top of the magazine hood 5 by the spring biasing means. The
direction of travel of the shells 10 to the top of the magazine
hood 5 is shown in FIG. 3. The rim channel 7 and the cam surface 9
of magazine hood 5 aid in positioning of the shells 10 as they
advance to the top of hood 5 so as to prevent the jamming of the
shells. The rim channel 7 keeps the rims 11 of the shells 10
resting on top of each other, rather than the rims 11 resting on
the shell itself. The cam surface 9 of hood 5 then forces the shell
slightly rearwardly as it reaches the top of hood 5 so that the rim
11 of the uppermost shell 10a is rearward (to the right in FIGS. 2
and 3) of the rim 11 of the next lower shell 10b. As the uppermost
shell 10a is pushed rearwardly from the hood 5 by shell drive
assembly 16, the shell 10a will not jam due to the positioning of
its rim 11 relative to the positioning of the rim of shell 10b as
accomplished by the rim channel 7 and the cam surface 9 of hood 5.
The stacking of the shells in this manner is facilitated by the
curvature of box magazine 8.
The box magazine 8 should be attached to the housing 4 by quick
release means 28. In this fashion, empty magazines may be replaced
with loaded ones in a rapid fashion. Virtually any quick release
means could be used which will allow the attachment of the
rectangular opening of the housing 4 to join with the rectangular
opening of the housing 4.
In the prior art, shells 10 are advanced through the magazine tube
6 in a linear fashion toward the elevator 20. The present invention
requires that the shells advance toward the magazine tube 6 in a
perpendicular fashion, and that the shells 10 then change direction
so as to advance rearwardly toward the elevator 20. Accordingly,
the shell drive assembly 16 which will be discussed is of primary
importance to the invention.
As shown in FIGS. 6 through 11, the shell drive assembly 16 is
located within the magazine tube 6. The shell drive assembly 16
must be capable of traversing the magazine tube 6 so as to advance
the shell 10a which has reached the top of hood 5 in a rearward
fashion for positioning by the elevator 20 into the firing chamber
18. The shell drive assembly 16 must also allow the next shell 10b
to advance to the top of the hood 5 from the box magazine 8 after a
shell 10a has been loaded into the firing chamber 18. All of this
action by the shell drive assembly 16 must take place within the
normal action of ejection and loading of the shell as actuated by
the means currently found in pump action (manual) and automatic
shotguns.
As incorporated into a pump action (manual) type shotgun as shown
in the drawings, the shell drive assembly 16 is attached to the
action slide 14. Movement of the action slide 14 along the magazine
tube 6 toward the magazine 8 causes the shell drive assembly 16 to
also be advanced rearwardly. The action slide 14 slides over the
exterior surface of the cylindrical magazine tube 6, but is
connected to the shell drive assembly 16 so as to cause the shell
drive assembly 16 to traverse the interior of the magazine tube 6
in concert with the movement of the action slide 14. A slot may be
formed within the magazine tube 6 to facilitate the attachment and
movement of the action slide 14 and shell drive assembly 16. It
should be recalled that the rearward movement of the action slide
14 actuates the shell ejection means as found in most shotguns, and
further actuates the operation of the elevator 20 in loading the
shell 10 into the firing chamber 18 as the action slide 14 is
advanced to the forward position. In an automatic shotgun, gas
pressure is used to actuate the shell drive assembly 16.
FIGS. 6 through 11 show the cycle of operation of the invention,
beginning with the firing chamber 18 in an empty state as shown in
FIG. 6. Shells 10a, b, c have been advanced to the top of the box
magazine 8 and hood 5 by the spring biasing means 12, 30 of the
magazine 8. The action slide 14 and shell drive assembly 16 are
advanced to the full forward position, with the piston 26 of the
shell drive assembly 16 being located forward of the shell 10a
which has advanced to the top of the hood 5.
In FIG. 7, the action slide 14 begins to advance rearwardly,
causing the shell drive assembly 16 to advance rearwardly as well.
As the shell drive assembly 16 advances rearwardly, the piston 26
of the shell drive assembly 16 contacts the uppermost shell
10a.
In the preferred embodiment, the shell drive assembly 16
incorporates a cylinder 24 with a spring biased piston 26
protruding from one end thereof. As can be seen in FIG. 6, as the
piston 26 contacts the shell 10a, the rate of travel of the piston
26 is slowed in comparison with the rate of travel of the cylinder
24, and accordingly, the spring 25 within the cylinder 24 is
compressed as the length of the piston 26 enters the cylinder 24.
It is not necessary that the shell drive assembly 16 be made up of
a cylinder and spring biased piston; however, as will be pointed
out, the invention performs in a superior manner as a result of
using the spring biased piston 26 and cylinder 24 as disclosed in
the drawings.
FIG. 8 shows the action slide 14 and shell drive assembly 16 as
they reach the most rearward position. The length of the piston 26
is such that it has caused the shell 10a which it contacts to be
advanced rearwardly even though the piston 26 is compressed into
the cylinder 24. Accordingly, the shell 10a is advanced toward the
loading chamber 22 and the elevator 20.
The spring tension on the piston 26 then causes the piston 26 to be
expelled from the cylinder 24, forcing the shell 10a into the
loading chamber 22 so as to be received by the elevator 20 which
has moved to the full downward position in response to the action
slide 14 being advanced toward the rear.
FIG. 9. The shell 10a is now positioned over the elevator 20 for
loading into the firing chamber 18 by the means currently found in
the prior art.
It should be noted in FIGS. 5 and 9 that the opening at the end of
the cylinder 24 through which the piston 26 protrudes is a
frusto-conical void, or other similar void, which will allow the
piston 26 to "wobble" somewhat. As soon as shell 10a is removed
from its position over shell 10b, shell 10b is advanced upwardly by
the spring biasing means 12, 30 of the box magazine 8, causing
shell 10b to contact the piston 26. Piston 26 is displaced somewhat
in an upwardly fashion by shell 10b so that it no longer exactly
parallel to the magazine tube 6 FIG. 9. While this feature is not
absolutely necessary to the working of the device, it has been
found that the shell drive assembly is less susceptible to jamming
by the incorporation of this feature.
FIG. 10 shows the action slide 14 as it is advanced forwardly,
which causes the elevator 20 to place the shell 10a into the firing
chamber 18 by the means found in the prior art. The shell drive
assembly 16 is seen being advanced forwardly by the movement of the
action slide 14, with the piston 26 having substantially left the
hood 5 and the remaining shells 10b, c having been advanced
upwardly in magazine 8 into hood 5.
The action slide 14 has reached the full forward position in FIG.
11, and accordingly, the shell drive assembly 16 is again
positioned as it was in FIG. 6, with the piston 26 located just
forward of the shell 10b which has just reached the top of the box
magazine 8 and hood 5. Shell 10a is in position in the firing
chamber 18, and ready for firing.
The present invention provides a box magazine or cartridge which
may be adapted to existing shotguns, manual or automatic, or may be
designed into shotguns using the existing prevalent means of
ejecting shells from the firing chamber and loading shells into the
firing chamber. The advantage of a box magazine over the tube type
magazine currently incorporated into the vast majority of repeating
shotguns found in the prior art is that a greater number of shells
may be placed into a box type magazine, and the shotgun may be
reloaded by quickly detaching the empty magazine and attaching a
replacement box type magazine, whereas the reloading of the tube
type magazine is slow and cumbersome since each shell must be
placed into the tube one at a time. Unloading of the shotgun is
alsomade simpler since it is only necessary to remove the magazine,
increasing safety over shotguns found in the prior art.
* * * * *